Family Practice Test
The Family Practice Test is offered by the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). Although not generally required, this board certification test allows candidates to display their professionalism and knowledge to the public. It shows that candidates have mastered the area of family practice and will adhere to the medical code of ethics.
Individuals interested in taking the Family Practice Test must first meet the eligibility requirements.
- These include submitting a complete application with the fee, notarized signature, and two recent photographs. They must adhere to the code of ethics and be an active family practice specialist, have an active medical license and include a copy of it with the application, and be a graduate of an accredited college of medicine.
- Candidates must also submit a current resume that shows their medical school education and relevant licensing information.
- The Family Practice Test also requires completion of an approved residency in family practice.
- The candidate must also complete a self-query of the Practitioner Data Bank and submit a copy of the report. In addition, the candidate must compile ten case reports and submit four copies of each of them. The case reports must be typewritten and organized in a binder.
- The specific guidelines for this are available from the ABPS.
All these documents must be submitted, along with a $750 application fee, to ABPS. Once the application has been approved, the candidate will receive an invoice for the test fee of $1,950. Payment must be made by check or money order. The Family Practice Test must be taken within three years. The test is offered during two cycles: April/May and October/November. The application deadline is December 1 for the April/May cycle and May 1 for the October/November cycle. During these cycles, the testing center is open for four weeks from Monday to Friday. Some are open on weekends as well.
On the day of your Family Practice test, candidates should bring a photo ID and plan to arrive 30 minutes early to allow sufficient time to check-in. The test includes passing a multiple-choice written exam that covers 33 areas of medicine including allergies, cardiovascular diseases, dermatology, geriatrics, infectious diseases, gynecology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, preventive medicine, psychiatry, respiratory diseases, and signs and symptoms of diseases, among many others.
Upon completion, the results of the Family Practice Test will be mailed within 75 days. Candidates will not receive any numeric scores. They will only be informed as to whether they passed or failed. Those who pass will receive a certification. Those who fail the first time are allowed to retake the test two times. There are many resources available to individuals who need help studying for the Family Practice Test. These include study guides, exam blueprints, sample questions, and online practice tests which are available for a fee.
Recertification requires the submission of an application, as well as a fee of $1,562. Candidates must also include proof of 50 continuing medical education (CME) hours completed per year, as well as a copy of their current medical license. In addition, they must take a written Family Practice Test.